Reid Motter, Gaylord's partner in the extreme biathlon, cheered wildly as Gaylord blew across the finish line seconds behind solo-racer Williams, earning them 8th place out of 27 teams.

“Our goal was to finish in under two hours, and we finished in 2:08,” Gaylord said. “I know we both gave our best and I'm happy with our result.”

Gaylord and Motter, 16, are the youngest team ever to compete in Jerry's Baddle, an annual fundraiser for the research and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The biathlon is held in remembrance of Jerry Beckwith, an avid paddler and cyclist who died from the disease in 2006.

Gaylord hasn't even been cycling for two years but showed surprising stamina and technique as he churned alongside Williams.

“He came up from behind me out of nowhere, and that kind of kicked me into a higher gear,” Gaylord said. “It pushed me to really go even harder.”

Gaylord's parents, Denise Layfield and Ken Gaylord, and his litter sister, Isabella, drove behind him through the whole course to both support him and ensure his safety.

“We were really proud of him seeing him work so hard and give it his all,” Ken Gaylord said. “Watching him and Williams go back and forth added excitement, and I think really improved both of their times by at least four or five minutes.”

Motter said abnormally high water levels added to the challenge for kayakers this year with the river at twice its normal flow.

“The Green at 18 inches definitely amped up the race today,” Motter said. “I've run it that big, but racing it in a longer boat was hard.”

Typical creeking kayaks range between 8 and 9 feet, but longer boats designed for racing are between 12 and 13 feet.

“It was my first time taking out that long of a boat, and it wasn't really an ideal situation with the higher level,” Motter said. “I got pushed around a lot and accidentally dropped into the rapid named Go Left and Die.”

The rapid is one of the “Big Three” class Vs on the river and renowned for the violent hydraulic, or hole, that forms in its center.

“I got stuck in the hole for probably 45 seconds,” Motter said. “I was really lucky I managed to work myself out because I know a number of professional boaters who have swam out of that hole.”

Swimming is the term kayakers use when they have to pull out of their boats. In rapids like Go Left, bailing out of the kayak doesn't ensure the paddler's safety as the person can continue to be recirculated in the hydraulic.

“I can't believe how big the rapids he runs are,” Gaylord said. “I hiked up to see one of the last rapids, and I think it's crazy he can make it through those.”

Even with his near calamity, Motter managed to complete the kayaking section in 51 minutes. The winning time for teams last year was 2:01:36 but the higher water upped the ante, allowing professional kayaker Andrew Holcombe to smash the course record with a time of 34 minutes.

“I'm already excited thinking about doing better next year,” Motter said. “Kristian really crushed it on the road bike, and I feel next year we can definitely hit our goal of under 2 hours.”

Motter also had the opportunity to meet Jerry's widow, Brid Beckwith, and learn more about him and the origins of the race.

“We wanted to do this race because of the fun and competition, but Kristian and I both were really impacted by Jerry's story,” Motter said. “For an athlete to suffer from a disease like ALS, where their body is slowly paralyzed, is truly awful.”

The duo raised $250 to donate to ALS research

ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig's disease,” affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, progressively paralyzing the body. The disease was first documented in the 1870s, but it is still not understood how individuals contract ALS.

“You kind of hear about ALS, but no one knows much about it,” Brid Beckwith said. “People need to be aware of the incurable disease that is out there and we need more money to fund ALS research.”

Beckwith said her husband was diagnosed in 2005 and was dead a year later.

“He was active his whole life,” Beckwith said. “He spent his life treating his body like a temple and then he became a prisoner in it.”

<p>SALUDA -- Steely determination guided every pedal stroke as 15-year-old Kristian Gaylord paced reigning champion Mefford Williams through the steep terrain comprising the 26-mile cycling course during Jerry's Baddle on Saturday. </p><p>Reid Motter, Gaylord's partner in the extreme biathlon, cheered wildly as Gaylord blew across the finish line seconds behind solo-racer Williams, earning them 8th place out of 27 teams. </p><p>“Our goal was to finish in under two hours, and we finished in 2:08,” Gaylord said. “I know we both gave our best and I'm happy with our result.”</p><p>Gaylord and Motter, 16, are the youngest team ever to compete in Jerry's Baddle, an annual fundraiser for the research and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The biathlon is held in remembrance of Jerry Beckwith, an avid paddler and cyclist who died from the disease in 2006.</p><p>Gaylord hasn't even been cycling for two years but showed surprising stamina and technique as he churned alongside Williams.</p><p>“He came up from behind me out of nowhere, and that kind of kicked me into a higher gear,” Gaylord said. “It pushed me to really go even harder.”</p><p>Gaylord's parents, Denise Layfield and Ken Gaylord, and his litter sister, Isabella, drove behind him through the whole course to both support him and ensure his safety.</p><p>“We were really proud of him seeing him work so hard and give it his all,” Ken Gaylord said. “Watching him and Williams go back and forth added excitement, and I think really improved both of their times by at least four or five minutes.”</p><p>Motter said abnormally high water levels added to the challenge for kayakers this year with the river at twice its normal flow. </p><p>“The Green at 18 inches definitely amped up the race today,” Motter said. “I've run it that big, but racing it in a longer boat was hard.”</p><p>Typical creeking kayaks range between 8 and 9 feet, but longer boats designed for racing are between 12 and 13 feet.</p><p>“It was my first time taking out that long of a boat, and it wasn't really an ideal situation with the higher level,” Motter said. “I got pushed around a lot and accidentally dropped into the rapid named Go Left and Die.”</p><p>The rapid is one of the “Big Three” class Vs on the river and renowned for the violent hydraulic, or hole, that forms in its center. </p><p>“I got stuck in the hole for probably 45 seconds,” Motter said. “I was really lucky I managed to work myself out because I know a number of professional boaters who have swam out of that hole.”</p><p>Swimming is the term kayakers use when they have to pull out of their boats. In rapids like Go Left, bailing out of the kayak doesn't ensure the paddler's safety as the person can continue to be recirculated in the hydraulic. </p><p>“I can't believe how big the rapids he runs are,” Gaylord said. “I hiked up to see one of the last rapids, and I think it's crazy he can make it through those.”</p><p>Even with his near calamity, Motter managed to complete the kayaking section in 51 minutes. The winning time for teams last year was 2:01:36 but the higher water upped the ante, allowing professional kayaker Andrew Holcombe to smash the course record with a time of 34 minutes.</p><p>“I'm already excited thinking about doing better next year,” Motter said. “Kristian really crushed it on the road bike, and I feel next year we can definitely hit our goal of under 2 hours.”</p><p>Motter also had the opportunity to meet Jerry's widow, Brid Beckwith, and learn more about him and the origins of the race.</p><p>“We wanted to do this race because of the fun and competition, but Kristian and I both were really impacted by Jerry's story,” Motter said. “For an athlete to suffer from a disease like ALS, where their body is slowly paralyzed, is truly awful.”</p><p>The duo raised $250 to donate to ALS research</p><p>ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig's disease,” affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, progressively paralyzing the body. The disease was first documented in the 1870s, but it is still not understood how individuals contract ALS. </p><p>“You kind of hear about ALS, but no one knows much about it,” Brid Beckwith said. “People need to be aware of the incurable disease that is out there and we need more money to fund ALS research.”</p><p>Beckwith said her husband was diagnosed in 2005 and was dead a year later. </p><p>“He was active his whole life,” Beckwith said. “He spent his life treating his body like a temple and then he became a prisoner in it.”</p>